Cutting-off mechanism



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. F B SHUSTER CUTTING-OFF MBOHANISM.

N0. 601,593. Patented Mar. 29,1898.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES (No Model.) 3 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

F. B. SHUSTER. CUTTING-OPP MBGHANISM.

No. 601,593. Patented Mar. 29, 1898.

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(No Model.) 3 sheetsheet 3..

P.B.SHUSTBR. CUTTING-OFF MECHANISM.

N. 601,593. Patented Mar. 29, 1898.

wlTNEssES f INVENTOR Nrrn STATES FRANKLIN B. SHUSTER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

CUTTING-OFI# NIECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,593, dated March 29, 1898.

Application filed February Il, 1397:. Serial No. 622,919. (No model.)

To all' whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN B. SHUSTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting-Off Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved cut.- ting-off machine; and it is expressly designed and constructed for severing short sections from the end of a bar without drawing the stock orv otherwise defacing or distorting the sections, so that the severed faces will be level and the sides will retain their original form.

To enable others to fully understand my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an upper plan view of the machine, showing the bed and drivingpulley broken. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of row a of Fig. 1, showing also broken view of the supporting-legs, driving-pulley, and one of the large driving-gears. Fig. 3 is an end elevation similar to the view shown at Fig. 2, showing section of the bed and cam-shafts through line b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine and broken view of the bed, looking in the direction of arrow c of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the slideframe through line d of Fig. 1, end elevation of two of the upper divided ways for the movable slides, and end elevation of two of such slides carrying cutting-o dies. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal section of the four slides and dies therein. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal section of a modification of the slides and dies. Fig. S is a detail view of a modi.- fication of the cutting-dies. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view of the spring-clamp adapted to steady the end of the rod that is being operated on after such rod has left the feed-rolls.

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a rod with a section severed from the end thereof. Fig. 11 is a detail broken side elevation and sectional view through line of one of the slides and die therefor and means whereby such die is longitudinally adj usted.

Its construction and operation are as follows:

1 represents the bed.

E suffice. (see Fig. 11) being circular, the rear portion of the head 15 of the bolt 15 is also circular the machine, looking in the direction of ar- 2 is a skeleton frame (see Figs. 1,2, 3, 4,

and 5) rising from the bed and holding (see also Fig. 6) the four slides 3, 4, 5, and 6. These i slides are V-shaped, and they operate in the lower way 7 and also in the upper way. This i upper way (see Fig. 5) is made in two parts 9 and 9, and these parts are held together by {the bolts 10. This feature of the adjustable divided ways tends to keep the inner faces of the four slides 3, 4, 5, and 6 close together. In a recess on the inner face of each of the said slides a cutting-O die is placed, and these dies-viz. 11, 12, 13, and 14-beingdovetailed in the said recesses are also held longitudinally therein by means of the bolts 15. As the operation of the four bolts necessary to accomplish the adjustment of all of the dies is the same, a brief description of one will The end of the recesses in the slide to conform thereto, while the forward face of such head is beveled to match the beveled edge of the block 16,whose opposite face bears against the end of the die 12. When, therefore, the nuts 17 are turned to draw down their bolts, the dies are forced outward, and their cutting edges are adj usted with respect to each other.

18 are screws passing through the upper part of the frame 2, whereby the upper slidewaj7 is vertically adjusted.

19 are boltsscrewed into each of the four slides 3, 4 5, and 6, which bolts carry the cam-rolls 20, 21, 22, and 23, and 24, 25, 26, and 27 are cams engaging therewith. The cams 24 and 25 are mounted upon the driving-shaft 23 in the standards 29 and 30, While the cams 26 and 27 are mounted upon the short shaft 31, journaled in the standards 32 and 33, and motion is communicated from the driving-shaft to the short shaft through the medium of the large gears 34 and 35.

36 is the driving-pulley, mounted upon ythe shaft 28, whereby motion is communicated to the machine.

37 and 38 are the stock-feeding rolls, mounted on the end of the shafts 39 and 40, which shafts are journaled in suitable boxes in the standards 41 and 42, projecting from the bed. The lower shaft 40 carries on its outer projecting end the pinion 43, whereby motion is IOO n jecting without the cutting-off dies.

communicated to the feed-rolls in the manner presentlyto be described.

44 is a standard rising from the bed of the machine, and 45 is a pawl-carrier block longitudinally operating therein. 46 is a pawl pivotally connected to the forward end of said block to engage with the pinion 43 of the shaft 40, whereby said shaft is caused to rotate through the medium of the face-cam 47 on the driving-shaft, engaging with the roll 48 of the block 45. The rotation of the driving-shaft and cam 47 will force said block forward, so as to impart suficientrotary movement to the stock-feeding-rolls', which movement will represent the length of piece to be cut off from the end of the rod 49, while the spring 49 will maintain the engagement of the roll with its cam.

50 and 51 are pinions on the feed-roll shafts, whereby the upper feed-roll is timed with the lower one.

52 is a wheel-handle screw for effecting the vertical adjustment of the upper feed-roll.

As the object of this machine is to cut off short sections from the end of a bar, the dies in the slides must conform to the shape of the bar whether such bar is round or of irregular form. In the present case the stockis of the form of the figure 8, (see Fig. 10,) and the short section 49b cut therefrom represents one of the links of a bicycle-chain, and therefore the end of the four dies will be shaped so as to conform to this rod, so that when the said dies are brought thereagainst they will touch the entire outer surface thereof.

The machine being automatic in its operation, the stock will be in long bars and may, if desired, rst pass through straighteningrolls. As the feed-rolls are not placed close to the cutting-oif dies, the spring-clamp (see also Fig. 9) is adapted to support the bar pro- This clamp comprises the standard 53, which is secured to the machine-bed, while the plate or cap 53a is held against the vertical face of said standard by means of the springs 54 on the bolts 55. Now, as the inner vertical face of the standard 53 is on a line with the center of the feed-rolls and the movement of the two slides 8 and 4 will move away from such face in severing the stock, it is evident that the cap 53a will be carried away from said standard by the bar moving with the slides, and when the said slides retreat the said cap will be carried back by the action of the springs 54. Thus this spring-clamp not only supports a short bar, so as to keep it always in line with the dies when such dies are opened for a forward feeding of such bar, but it also acts as a guide to keep a long bar in perfect alinement with such dies. The object of placing the feed-rolls at such a distance from the dies is to allow the bar projecting beyond the feed-rolls to suffer this slight lateral deection without cramping.

The formation of the cams 24, 25, 26,4and 27 is such that two short sections, as shown at Fig. 10, are severed from the end of the bar 49 at each revolution of such cams. The formation or path of cams 25 and 26 is exactly alike, while cams 24 and 27 also resemble each other as to formation. This arrangement of the cams enables the several dies carried by the four slides 3, 4, 5, and 6 to be brought against and firmly grip the bar at the same instant. Then when this is effected one pair of the slides-viz., 3 and 4will be moved in the direction of arrow e, Fig. 6, while the slides 5 and 6 will be carried in the opposite direction, as represented by arrow f, whereupon the dies will retreat to an open position in readiness for the forward feeding of the bar in the manner previously described. To more fully illustrate this action of the cams, reference is had to Fig. 3, where the dies are not as yet supposed to have been brought in rm contactwith the bar; but when the dies are brought rmly against the bar the cam 26 will begin its retreat along that part of its path as represented by h, while the cam 24, continuing still to advance, will cause the slides 3 and 4 to move in the direction of arrow e, while, as before mentioned, the two opposite slides will move in a contrary direction, so as to sever a section from the bar.

It is the present practice to form the several links composing a bicycle-chain by sawing the link-blanks from the end of a bar shaped as shown at Fig. 10; but this operation is not only slow, but the work is not satisfactorily done, as burs are left on the edges of the blanks. Besides, the faces of such blanks are left more or less irregular, owing to the tendency of the saw to run. Punching the blanks from the sheet metal will neither leave the sides or faces true or free from burs, so that in either of the operations for making the links more or less eXtra work must needs be performed'to finish them.

In my improved device the slides and their dies are brought into such close frictional contact with each other that there is no pos- IOO IOS

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sibility of their springing apart while one pair of the slides is moving along the face of the other pair to sever a short section from the end of the bar, as shown at Fig. I2.

In the modification shown at Figs. 7 and S there is but one slide-viz., l-and one dieviz., 12a. This die has the hole 12b, just large enough to allow the bar to pass freely through, while the dies ll and 14 represent the open dies shown in the other views. Now while it is possible to sever long sections from the bar by using this solid die in conjunction with the two open ones very short sections could not be cut unless the stock or bar was firmly gripped and supported back of the forward dies l1 and 14; but'whatever the character of the rear die or dies the means for severing very short sections from the end of a cold bar must consist of two dies arranged in the same plane and adaptedto recede from each other to vadmit the stock and to move toward each other to grip the end of the bar, embracing l in such grip the length of the desired section,

whereupon both dies will be carried across the feeding-line of such ,stock before they open. In this manner sections may be cut from the end of a cold bar one-sixteenth of an inch long or less without changing the form of the section; but in order to do this successfully the bar from which a section is severed must not project from the rear die or `support a distance greater than the length of the section required, and the face of the two forward combined gripping and cutting dies must lie close against the rear die or dies or other support.

While I show dies shaped to cut sections from the end of a bar of a certain form, it will befunderstood that the machine is adapted to operate on bars of other forms by simply changing the shape of the dies.

While I show sliding plates in which the dies are mounted, it will be understood that such plates are employed simply as carriers for such dies, and therefore I do not wish to` be conned to the exact means whereby the dies are supported, as it is quite evident that the entire slide may form the body of the die; neither do I wish to be confined to the exact mechanical construction for operating the said dies or for feeding the stock.

The gist of my invention consists in the combination of two pairs of open dies, one pair in rear of the other and both pairs adapted to close upon a rod and grip it firmly, while one pair of dies moves in one direction and the other pair moving in the opposite direction, so as to sever a section fromthe end of the rod, or the rear pair of dies may remain stationary after gripping the rod,while the forward dies will move across the feeding-line of the rod to sever a section therefrom, the only difference betweenu the two methods being that where both pairs of dies move in opposite directions the distance traveled by each pair will be less than would be the case if one pair remained stationary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. The combination, in a cutting-0E machine adapted to cut short sections from the end of a rod, of rod-feeding mechanism, dieoperating mechanism, of combined gripping and cutting-off dies adapted to engage the end of a rod fed forward thereto, grippingdies to engage the said rod in rear of the before-mentioned dies, and in close proximity thereto, all of which dies are shaped to embrace the said rod and conform to the outer surface of the same, said front and rear sets of dies adapted, when engaged with the said rod, to be moved in opposite directions across the feeding-line of such rod, so as to sever a short section from the end thereof, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a cutting-o machine adapted to cut short sections from the end of a rod, rod-feeding mechanism, combined gripping and cutting-off dies, actuating mechanism therefor, a spring-clamp intermediate of said dies and die-feeding rolls, whereby said rod is supported and guided, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a cutting-off machine adapted to cut short sections from the end of a rod, feed-rolls, actuating mechanism therefor, a driving-shaft, means thereon for operating the feed-roll mechanism, a bed, a frame rising therefrom, slides carrying gripping and cutting-off dies mounted in said frame, cam-rolls on said slides, cams mounted on the said driving-shaft and upon a shaft parallel therewith for engaging said rolls, means for operating said shafts, a spring guiding-clamp intermediate of the said dies and feed-rolls, all for the purpose described and set forth.

4. The combination, in a cutting-oif machine adapted to cut off short sections 'from the end of a rod, of a pair of open grippingdies adapted to operate in the same plane, means for supporting said dies and means whereby said dies are independently operated so as to bring them with equal pressure against a rod and on opposite sides thereof, and means whereby such equal pressure is maintained'while said dies are carried across the feeding-line of the rod to severa section therefrom, a second pair of open gripping dies or jaws immediately in the rear of first pair of dies and in close frictional contact therewith, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, in a machine adapted to cut short sections from the end of a rod, of a pair of slides moving in the same plan'e and carrying open gripping-dies, a second pair of slides carrying open gripping-dies moving in the same plane and immediately in the rear of the first pair of slides and in frictional contact therewith, means, substantially as shown for maintaining such frictional contact,means whereby all four slides are independently operated so as to bring their respective dies into firm engagement with the rod on opposite sides thereof, and means whereby such engagement is equally maintained while a section of the rod is being severed by one or both pairs of slides carried across the rod-feeding line, means whereby the said slides are opened to admit a forward feeding of said rod, for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,`this 10th day of February, A. D. 1897.

FRANKLIN B. SI-IUSTER.

Witnesses:

W. J. TANNER, LEwrs F. PEL'roN.

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